Casket plaque



Nov. 20, 1945. MEADOWS 2,389,447

CASKET PLAQUE Filed Aug. 11, 1944 Patented Nov. 20, 1945 UNITED {STATES PATENT oF Ic I c sKE'r PLAQUE Joyce G. Meadows, Mount Pleasant, Tex. Application August 11, 1944, Serial No; 549,050

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an ornamental figure or display for flowers which may be supported on a casket as a funeral decoration, and an object of the invention is to provide a base having legs supportable on a casket, the said base being intended to have a flower-holding instrumentality applied thereto, said instrumentality preferably being in the nature of moss which is bound to a plaque forming a part of the holder; the said plaque being associated with ioldable legs having novel bracing means therefor, which bracing means coacts with the plaque or the moss-supporting element of the device. It is understood that the moss is lashed in place and held by twine such as that which is employed by fiorists, and when the said moss is secured in place, it forms an anchorage for stems of flowers which can be imbedded in the moss. By this means a decorative floral piece in the nature of a pillow is produced and the moss will aid in preserving the freshness of the flowers form ing the floral display.

' It is an object of this invention to produce a plaque of the character indicated which can be stamped from a strip of material with the parts so formed as to permit the parts to be moved with relation to other parts or with relation to one another to form the legs which are to rest on a casket with braces for the legs engaging the main body of the plaque on which the moss is supported, so that by a single stamping operation the device can be expeditiously and inexpensively produced by using cardboard or other appropriate material in its production.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this application, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of the plaque as it is stamped from a sheet of material;

Figure 2 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 illustrates a plan view when the blank i folded to form the floral support; Y

Figure 4 illustrates a; view in elevation of the end of the device as shown in Fig. 3;

Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Figure 6 illustrates the finished floral display applied to a simulated casket.

In this drawing the plaque is shown as comprising parts which are integral, and the said parts comprise a main body portion 5 having transversely disposed slots 6 for recelvingthe ends of a brace, as willpresently appear. At each end of the main body portion the material is scored transversely on the line I, and the material is cut on the lines 8, 8, at an angle to the transverse scoring, and the material is scored on the lines 9, 9, which scoring extends from the last mentioned cuts 8, 8, to the outer edge of the figure.

The blank is further out to form pairs of curved legs l0, Ill, one pair being at each end. Each pair of legs is formed as a part of the blank and is convex to define an arch so that the arch will span a convex or centrally raised top surface of a casket top or cover with the legs resting thereon. The legs are integral with a brace II, and the said brace has a lip l2 which is bent at an angle to the brace, and the said lip is intended to be seated in one of the slots 6, so that when the brace II is bent diagonally upward with relation to the legs, it forms a comparatively rigid structure by which the legs are held at right angles to the main body in order that the main body is thereby supported. Enough material of the blank is left undisturbed by the scoring on the lines 9 so that the legs are hinged in place by the uncut portions of the blank during the scoring operation.

The parts just described are duplicated at the two ends of the main body and, as shown in the drawing, when the blank is cut and scored in the manner indicated, the legs can be hinged to assume a position at right angles to the main body, and the brace will extend diagonally inwardly and upwardly so that the lip may be inserted in the slot to complete a. comparatively rigid support for the plaque.

It is obvious that the material is scored so that the brace H and lip l2 may be hinged, as at Ila and lib, respectively. In other words, the scoring is sufilciently deep to permit the distortion of the brace and lip, but enough of the material is left to form the said hinges.

The moss I3 is applied to the top of the main body and lashed in place by strings 14 which may be used to an extent which will insure the proper retention of the moss and, after this has been completed, flowers l5 are superimposed on the moss with the stems penetrating or imbedded in 25' l the moss, a condition which will result in an at tractive floral piece of decorative character.

The legs [0 at each end are integral with a strip or bar Illa cut from the body portion so that when the legs are swung at right angles to the body portion, the bar underlies the end'of the body portion as shown in Fig. 4.

Iclaim:

A floral displaying instrumentality stamped as a unit and comprising a main supporting member having transversely disposed s1ots,. pairs of legs at each end of the member integral with and hingedly joined to the member at the ends or said member at its side edges, the legs of each pair being arched to form clearances for" convex surfaces of casket tops or covers, the said legsbeing adapted to be swung downwardly atright angles to the said member, a bar cut from the end of the member integral with the said legs of each pair, a brace integral with said member formed as an extension of the bar and hinged to said bar, a lip at the outer edge of the said brace integral with the brace and hinged thereto, the said brace extending inwardly and upwardly to the under surface of the member when positioned to form the floral support, the said lip being insertable: in a slot near the end of the member having the brace, whereby the legs are braced in a position at right angles to the said member, a

'nbrous material lashed on the member, and flowers having their stems imbedded in and held 15' by the fibrous material.

JOYCE G. MEADOWS. 

